Who’d have thought a trailer for a little Ron Howard comedy could set off a mini firestorm of controversy. Shortly before this trailer for The Dilemma debuted online, GLAAD (the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) sent out a letter admonishing Universal for opening the promo with the line Ladies and gentlemen, electric cars
are gay. I mean, not homosexual gay, but, you know, my parents are chaperoning the dance gay. GLAAD said “The use of the word gay in this trailer as a slur is unnecessary and does nothing more than send a message of intolerance about our community to viewers.
The issue is particularly pressing in the US at the moment,following publicity about a string of teens who’ve killed themselves due to bullying and worries about their sexuality, with many suggesting the casual use of the word gay in a negative contect has increased the pressure on young people trying to come to terms with their new identity.
While GLAAD received a preview copy and expressed their concerns, the studio put the trailer in cinemas anyway, leading CNN’s Anderson Cooper to denounce it on Ellen Degeneres’ chat show. So now the new promo has gone online and it’s been de-gayed. While it does seem a bit of a storm in a teacup, it highlights issues that are well worth addressing, as Hollywood still treats everything homosexual as something it’s okay to laugh at with impunity, in a way they would never do with most minorities. It’ll be interesting to see whether the de-gaying of the trailer means the joke won’t appear in the film either.
Take a look at the new trailer for the movie below.